I have scars on my knee from a bike accident that I had when I was 10 years old. As a child, I was embarrassed by my scars. I hated wearing dresses because of them. When my mom made me wear dresses, I would put a bandage on the scars to cover them because I thought they were so ugly. However, as I grew older, I became less self-conscious and no longer felt the need to hide them. Now, I have come to understand that scars are meaningful and can be beautiful. The dictionary defines a scar as “a mark left by a healed wound.” A healed wound. My scars signify that I have been healed.

All Scars Have a Story

All scars have a story and they are reminders of what we have endured. I have scars from the two C-sections I had when giving birth to my sons. I also have a long scar down my left knee from the surgery I had when I tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). A torn ACL is a very common sports injury. I tore mine playing football at a church picnic many years ago. I call it my “old football injury.”

I had arthroscopic surgery to repair my torn ACL. I could barely move my leg after the surgery. It took several months of physical therapy to rehabilitate my knee. I remember the first appointment I had with my physical therapist. I came in on crutches with only one shoe on. While on crutches, I wore a sock on the foot of my injured leg since I always kept that knee bent. My therapist asked me where my other shoe was and I said it was at home. He told me bluntly, “bring it next time.” I thought, “What for? It is way too soon for me to start bearing weight on that leg. It still hurts.”

At the next appointment, he made me do things I would never have done on my own like place my foot on the ground and put pain-inducing pressure on my injured knee. However, I made progress through the following therapy sessions and eventually began to walk without crutches, but with a very pronounced limp. My knee was healing properly, so my therapist could not figure out why I was still limping. I did all my prescribed exercises but felt frustrated that I could not get rid of that limp. At one point, I thought I would never be able to run again.

One day, my therapist had the idea to tie my leg to the leg of his assistant, since she was my height. He bound our legs together like the three-legged race. He then had us walk around the room, over and over again, and guess what … I walked perfectly with her. No limp and no pain. My limp persisted because my body believed it would hurt to bear my full weight on that knee, so it kept limping to avoid the pain. My therapist had to show me that it was all in my head and there was no physical reason why I could not walk normally. Once I realized that, I began riding a bike to strengthen my knee and my limp disappeared completely. I was healed.

My surgery left me with a scar that marked the place of healing. Now, that scar serves as a reminder that sometimes I need someone to make me do things I would not do on my own. It reminds me that my mind can play tricks on me and convince me that things will be painful or awful when that is not really true. It reminds me that sometimes I need someone to walk with me to show me things are possible. Ultimately, it marks a time when I overcame an obstacle and triumphed.

Jesus Had Scars

Jesus had scars too. The Bible tells us that after he resurrected, he appeared to his disciples:

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:19b-20 NIV)

Another account says the disciples were startled and frightened because they thought Jesus was a ghost. “He said to them, ‘Why are you so troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see….’ (Luke 24:37-38 NIV)

Jesus showed the disciples the scars on his hands and his side to identify himself. They were so happy when they realized it was truly him. They had just watched their friend and leader mercilessly beaten and killed. Yet, now he stood before them--shiny and new. Curiously, Jesus had scars on his resurrected body. He could have been raised to life with a perfect body. However, he chose to keep his scars so the disciples would recognize him. Thomas said he would not believe Jesus had risen from the dead unless he saw the scars and touched them himself. (John 20:24-25) When Jesus later appeared to Thomas, he invited him to see and touch his scars and told him to stop doubting and believe. (John 20:26-27) Jesus’ scars show us that he was familiar with human suffering. (Isaiah 53:3) He suffered immense pain, both physically and emotionally. His physical pain was excruciating and his friends abandoned him when he needed them the most. Jesus’ scars are a testament to what he endured for us. They also signify that he triumphed over death, so we have hope for healing. The Bible affirms that “by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

Wounds That Turn Into Scars